Air-compressor



No. 608,964. Patented Aug. 9, [8198.

' F. E. HESTON &. R. B. HARVISON,

AIR COMPRESSOR. (Apblication filed Dec. 10, 1897.)

(No Model.)

Inventors.

was 1 EEK \wltneses Attorney.

FRANK E. IIESTON AND ROBERT B. HARVISON, OF RUSIILAND,

PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPEQIFTCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,964,?dated August 9, 1898. Application filed December 10, 1827. 1 Serial No. 661,383. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern: i

Be it known that we, FRANK E. HESTON and ROBERT B. HARVISON, citizens of the United States, residing at Bushland, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements 1n Air-Compressors, of which the following is i a specification.

This invention relates to air-compressors,

and particularly to an air-compressing a;

chine adapted to condense air as a motive fluid or for other purposes, from whence it may be used directly or stored in suitable receptacles for use as desired. I

The object of theinvention is to provide an l air-compressing machine of improved, novel, and peculiar construction and arrangement of parts whereby the machine is assisted in its operation by the air it compresses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hollow shaft in communication with a series of piston-cylinders secured to and in communication with the said shaft and a series of rotating arms journaled upon said shaft and operating a series of pistons.

A further object of the invention is to provide a series of cylinders fixed to give communication with a hollow shaft carrying driving-wheels having a series of rotating arms provided with rollers adapted to travel over the pistons of said cylinders.

A further object of the invention is to provide means to connect the several cylinders together and to provide a series of leverslover which the ends of said arms travel, the free' ends of the levers engaging the pistons.

Other objects and advantages accruing from theimproved machine will be disclosed in the specification and claims to follow.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the air-compressor. Fig. 2 is asection on the line a: m, Fig. 1.

The same numeral references denote the same parts throughout both figures of the drawings. 1

In carrying the invention into effect a shaft 1, being hollow or partially so, is fixed against rotation and has apertures 2, leading from a chamber 3 into the hollow portion of the shaft. Said chamber is formed in an octagonal hub 4,

which has octagonal end plates5, bolted to peripheral plates 6. Each end plate 5 has a gland 7, fixed to the shaft 1 and bolted to said end plates.

The chamber 3 is provided with a series of air holes or apertures 8, which register with the hollow-shaft apertures 2, and opposite said holes8 are formed cavities in which are fitted valve-plugs 9, in communication with the holes 8 and having a flange 10, secured to the hub 4 by bolts 11, and a spring-controlled ball-valve-ll The bolts 11 also secure the cylinders 12 to the hub 4. The cylinders have an air-vent 13 in their lower ends, while their upper ends are provided with a coupling 14, bolted to the flange of the cylinders to couple one end of a sleeve 15 to the cylinders, the other end of the sleeve being closed by a gland 16. A piston-rod 17 works through the sleeve to operate a piston 18 in the cylinder, and the sleeve incloses a spiral spring 19 to give the piston its lift or upward stroke from the hub 4. Thefreeends of the piston-rod are provided with a roller 20,"engaged by track levers 21, pivoted in brackets 22, secured to spanners 23, which connect the outer ends of the sleeves together.

The levers 21 form a track around which rollers 24 travel. The rollers 24 are journaled in forks 25 of the arms or spokes 26 of the side wheels 27 These wheels are loosely 'mounted to turn on the shaft 1, and the forks are joined together by the journals 28 of the rollers" 24. Each wheel has a rim or pulley 29 cast thereon upon the outside to carry a driving-belt 30 to operate the machine.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Motion beingimparted to the rim or pulleys 29 by the belt 30, which may receive its momentum'from any suitable driving power, the wheels 27 are revolved, together with the rollers 24, traveling over their track-levers 21, which force the pistons inward, and immediately upon a roller leaving the said levers the piston is carried outward by the spring 19. This operation opens and closes the air-valve vents to the chamber 3, from which the air is discharged into the hollow shaft, whence the air is carried for use or storage in a suitable apparatus (not shown) connected to the shaft.

It will be observed that the cylinders are at all times fixed to the shaft against rotation, while the side wheels are perfectly free to revolve upon the fixed shaft.

It is obvious that by the foregoing construction and arrangement of parts a compact machine for multiplying power by aircompression is produced.

We do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to any particular size of machine, nor to the size, special shape, or the number of parts comprising the machine, as the same may be varied in manufacture without .departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An air-compressorhavin g in combination a series of cylinders having pistons and secured to and in communication with a fixed hollow shaft, side wheels loosely mounted on said shaft and having a driving-pulley, tracklevers engaging the piston-rods, rollers carried by the wheels to depress the rods, and a spiral spring for returning the rods, as set forth.

2. The combination with the fixed hollow shaft having air-holes, the hub fixed to the shaft and having a chamber in communication with said shaft, of the cylinders secured to the said hub and having suitable pistons operated by piston-rods, valves in the hub opened and closed by the operation of the pistons, the wheels loosely mounted upon the shaft, and means connecting the wheels to the piston-rods to operate the pistons, as set forth.

3. Thecombinationwiththewheels,thefixed hollow shaft upon which the wheels are loosely mounted, the cylinders fixed to the shaft and having pistons and rods, the sleeves secured to the cylinders and connected together, and a valved communication between the shaft and the cylinder, of the track-levers, the rollers carried by the wheels to depress the levers and contract the piston-rods, and the spiral springs for extending the said rods, as set forth.

at. In an air-compressor, the combination with the fixed hollow shaft, and the cylinder securedtheretoandhaving pistons and springcontrolled piston-rods, of means for operating the said rods comprising the" wheels loosely mounted on the shaft, the rollers journaled to and between the wheels, and the track levers, as set forth.

5. In an air-compressor, the combination of the fixed hollow shaft, cylinders having pistons and rods, the chambered hub joining the cylinders with the shaft, the plugs fitted in the hub, and the valves operated in the plugs by the pistons, of the wheels loosely mounted on the shaft and having forked arms or spokes, the rollers jonrnaled in and between the forks, the rollers on the ends of the pistonrods, the track-levers adapted to be operated by the forked rollers to contract the pistons, and the springs for extending the pistons, as set forth.

6. The combination with the hub having an integral air-chamber and peripheral cavities, of the valve-plugs fitted in said cavities, and having flanges secured to the outside of the hub, as set forth.

In witness whereof we hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. I-IESTON. ROBERT B. IIARVISON. Witnesses:

M. S. GRANT, M. S. llnsroN. 

